Balasaheb Thackeray come back, chant sea of mourners

The Shiv Sena chief's cortege in Mumbai, which stretched 2 kms, is believed to have drawn a crowd of nearly 1 million who lined the route from Kalanagar to Shivaji Park.

Page 1 of 4

MUMBAI: Sunday's sunset hour of 6.15pm drew the curtains on a legacy that spanned four decades of Marathi 'asmita' (pride). In a rare honour, Shiv Sena supremo Balasaheb Thackeray, who never held government office, was cremated with full state honours at Shivaji Park maidan rather than the crematorium nearby.

Thousands of mournful Sainiks who had assembled from all parts of the state sent up a chorus of "Balasaheb amar rahe! (Balasaheb is immortal)" after the police fired a 21-gun salute. The city wound down entirely and this time the Tiger himself had not called a bandh.

Spectators were touched to see Raj Thackeray break down in tears shortly before the pyre was lit. Sena MP Sanjay Raut clasped his shoulder to offer comfort.

Death brought life full circle for many Sainiks. It was at this very ground that they had seen the Shiv Sena take shape in 1966, attended 45-odd Dussehra rallies, and it was here that their beloved 'Hindu Hridaysamrat' bade his final farewell. They kept chanting, "Balasaheb parat ya! (Balasaheb come back)"

Petite 70-year-old Dadar resident Ratnaprabha Surve climbed up four stories of an under-constr uction building to glimpse the cremation . Rather than the masses, it was the dignitaries who had to be urged to follow discipline. They crowded around the dais a n d bl o cke d t h e g at e through which the cortege was to enter the grounds.

Giant screens were installed in the vast maidan, capturing a disciplined assembly that videographed every moment on mobile phones. No loudspeakers were used, only megaphones on either side of the dais. Sporadic, subdued announcements interspersed Jagjit Singh's hymns.

Burly Sainiks were seen wiping their eyes. Marathi singer Padmaja Phenane recited Samarth Ramdas' poem 'Nishchayacha Mahameru' , originally composed for Shivaji Maharaj. Priests from Siddhivinayak Temple performed rituals for which 400 kg of sandalwood had been brought from three different places in Girgaum. Nearly 100 kg of ghee was used to light the pyre.